Machine to machine traffic management methods and systems

• US 9,554,392 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2014
• Issued: 01/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.), AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.), AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shaw, Venson, Soelberg, Emily
• Primary Examiner(s): Magloire, Vladimir
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zewari, Sayed T
• Application Number:
  US14/515,004
• Publication Number:
  US 20160113025A1
• Time in Patent Office: 832 Days
• Field of Search: 455/450, 455/63.2, 455/509, 455/464, 455/451, 455/452.2, 455/453
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/24 Traffic characterised by specific attributes, e.g. priority or QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/543 based on requested quality, e.g. QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/56 based on priority criteria
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/566 of the information or information source or recipient
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]

Abstract

A method and system for managing M2M traffic in a network is provided. The M2M device sends a message that includes a machine identity for the M2M device. A query is submitted to a database that correlates the machine identity with a QoS parameter or a priority. The message is assigned to one of a plurality of input queues based on the assigned QoS parameter or priority. Each input queue is associated with a delay period so that the message is held in the queue for a period less than the delay period.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving in a radio access network a request to transmit a message from a first device through a cellular network to a second device, the request including a machine identity for the first device and not including any QoS parameters;

submitting a query to a database in a core network that correlates the machine identity with an associated QoS parameter;

determining the associated QoS parameter associated with the first device based on the machine identity;

assigning an assigned priority to the message, the assigned priority selected from at least a high priority and a low priority based on the associated QoS parameter; and

assigning the message, based on the assigned priority to one of a first input queue or a second input queue located in the radio access network wherein the first input queue is associated with the low priority and a long delay and the second input queue is associated with the high priority and a short delay;

transmitting messages in the second input queue on a first come first served basis; and

transmitting messages in the first input queue on a first come first served basis;

after the messages in the second input queue have been transmitted.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the associated QoS parameter is latency.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein assigning the message, based on the assigned priority further comprises assigning the message based on the assigned priority to one of a first input queue, a second input queue or a third input queue wherein the first input queue is associated with the low priority and a long delay and the second input queue is associated with the high priority and a short delay and the third input queue is associated with a medium priority and a medium delay.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising holding the message in an assigned input queue until all messages of higher priority have been transmitted.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein messages in the second input queue have low latency and messages in the first input queue have higher latency.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the first input queue and the second input queue are located in a eNode B access point.

7. A system comprising:

a radio access network;

a core network connected to the radio network;

a node in a radio network that receives a request to transmit a message from a first device, the request including a machine identity for the first device and not including any QoS parameters;

a subsystem that determines the machine identity for the first device;

a storage medium in the core network;

a database stored in the storage medium that stores information associating the machine identity with an associated QoS parameter;

a subsystem in the core network that determines the associated QoS parameter for the first device based on the machine identity;

a subsystem in the core network that assigns an assigned priority for the message based on the associated QoS parameter, the assigned priority selected from among a high priority and a low priority;

a subsystem, located in the radio access network, having a first input queue and a second input queue wherein the first input queue is associated with the low priority and a long delay, and the second input queue is associated with the high priority and a short delay;

a subsystem that assigns the message to one of the first input queue or the second input queue in the radio network based on the assigned priority;

a subsystem that transmits messages in the second input queue on a first in first out basis; and

a subsystem that transmits messages in the first input queue on a first in first out basis after the messages in the first input queue have been transmitted.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the associated QoS parameter is latency.

9. The system of claim 8 further comprising a third input queue associated with a medium delay.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein the subsystem that transmits messages in the first input queue transmits messages in the first input queue, before the subsystem that transmits messages in the second input queue transmits messages in the second input queue.

11. The system of claim 7 wherein the messages in the first input queue have low latency and the messages in the second input queue have higher latency.

12. The system of claim 7 wherein the first input queue and the second input queue are located in an eNode B access point.